A Summer's Blizzard
by MissImagineThat
Summary: Seasons pass and people change, but one day a blizzard might come through and freeze your heart.
1. Prologue

**A Summer's Blizzard**

**By Renee AKA Miss Imagine That**

**Seasons pass and people change, but one day a blizzard might come through and freeze your heart.**

**Preview**

Troy laughed bitterly. The rain was coming down harder on the two of them as they stood in the middle of the abandoned street.

"What?" Gabriella asked him bitingly.

"You say you love me," he starts, "but you can't be with me? Why is that Gabs? Are you afraid of love? Are you too afraid to take risks like you've always been?

"I love you, Gabriella. You love me. It doesn't have to be complicated. All of this can go away if you let me in again, if you let me love you. Why are you running from me?"

"I will not let myself be hurt again!" she yelled with tears mixing along with the rain. "You broke my heart."

"I said I was sorry!" he yelled as a crack of lightning and thunder sounded. "I'd give you the world, Brie."

"I don't want the world."

"Then what do you want? I'll give anything." The rain was by now pounding on their faces. She cried as she sunk to her knees to the ground. He came up to her and kneeled in front of her.

"I've already given you my heart and my soul," he whispered roughly and kissing her softly once before speaking again. "Where's yours?"

**Coming Soon**

**December 2009  
**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

It was many years ago during a sweet autumn day near a sparkling lake. A young girl of sixteen years was sketching in a notebook. She had wavy black hair and light, playful brown chocolate eyes that were a bit magnified by her black-framed glasses. Strands of her hair blew this way and that, but she did not bother fixing it. She didn't even notice it. All her attention was on the notebook in front of her.

It was a pretty drawing. The paper showed detail in every shadow, fern, tree, and leaf. The odd thing, though, was that she was sketching on the left side of the paper looking as though the picture was only a quarter of the way done, but the left side of the paper held all the fine details of a finished drawing. She was sitting on the ground with her back up against a tall oak overlooking the lake. There was the sound of a purr of an engine in the background, and the girl turned her head from the drawing to the noise.

A handsome looking black Audi had parked in the gravel road, and an even more handsome young boy stepped out of the car. He was seventeen, and his messy brown hair was soft and shined in the light. The wind made it so that his hair was also flying in different directions, but you could still see his bright blue eyes dancing on his face. He walked leisurely toward the girl, and had an easy smile on. It was just so easy for her to smile at that face. His smile widened, and he jogged over and sat down next to her.

He reached for her notebook, but frowned when she pulled it away with a playful smile on her face. The frown disappeared and was replaced with an involuntary smile. He jutted out his bottom lip and held out his hand.

_May I please see it?_ his eyes seemed to be asking.

She held it out in an exasperated surrender, and smiled when she felt him snatch it from her. The girl looked at his face to gauge his reaction. His face was blank at first, but it then changed to confusion as he looked at the sketch. The emotion on his face was amused when he finally handed it back to her. She looked questioningly at him, but he just shook his head at her and turned to the lowering sun. Instead of looking at the sun like he did, she turned her head to the side and looked at his profile.

_How can anyone be so perfect?,_ she thought. She let out a small chuckle because when she spent hours complaining to him about his gaggle of fans, she was basically one of them, fawning over him like a starry-eyed fan-girl.

He turned to her questioningly, but she just shook her head. He smiled, looked down at her hand, and intertwined it with his own. She smiled at their interlocked fingers, and then looked up at him.

"Best friend," he mouthed with a smile and turned back to the sunset.

She internally sighed.

Troy Bolton would never come to the knowledge of Gabriella's deep, undying love for him.

*****


	3. Chapter 2

*****

**Chapter Two**

Gabriella Montez was a smart and talented girl. She got straight A's, and her art was always considered spectacular among the older community. Of course, she would never admit these things to herself or anyone for that matter.

She had very low self-esteem and was always quiet and shy. The other reason for this was because the majority of her schoolmates looked down on her. There is never an explanation for these things. It just is.

Although she was not an outcast, she certainly was not the social butterfly. She had friends, though very few. All of them were close to her heart, but no one person was closer than Troy.

Their parents were friends long before they were even born. In pre-school, they would paint each other's faces; in kindergarten, they would play those silly hand games like Patty Cake. It was not until junior high did she notice the growing popularity he seemed to gain. Girls began to gain crushes on him. Boys began to look up to him as their leader. She was confused but happy for him; she could share.

Gabriella didn't know when she had fallen in love with him.

She supposed it happened in the summer before 8th grade. He had gone to a basketball camp for most of the summer. It was then she realized how much she needed him. He came home, and she greeted him with open arms. They spent the rest of the summer together either at the pool or at the lake.

It wasn't till' they started high school after that summer did things seem to go difficult. He started sitting with his basketball buddies instead of her. Dating seemed to be a big factor in his agenda. Instead of their routine movie nights, his weekends were filled with drunken parties. He would always call her afterwards drunk and saying he needed a ride home.

She would come immediately; she always did. Gabriella would bring him home and tuck him into bed. In the mornings, she would have Tylenol, water, and a large breakfast laid out for him because he had a hangover. She didn't know why she did this for him.

She supposed it was because she loved him so much.

After making sure he was situated, she would walk down to the lake. He would probably have fallen asleep on the couch before she even left, but after an hour or so he would end up at the lake, too.

Their friendship throughout their first year in high school was strained. It was limited to maybe a few phone calls and emails. Maybe one day a week they would hang out, and the only class they had together was English. He'd rather die than tell anyone, but he loved to write music and play piano.

They were still comfortable with each other, but somewhere along the line it changed. Maybe it was because they were both growing older. Either way, Gabriella was going to take whatever she's given.

It was not until that fateful day during junior year where their friendship would be pushed to the edge.

The bell rang after English, and everybody rushed out of his or her seats to head to lunch. Gabriella went extra slow so that she could delay her time of sitting alone once again in the cafeteria. Today was a little different, though, because Troy came up to her to talk to her.

But of course, they had to hide in the janitor's closet.

He turned on the light bulb hanging from the ceiling and stood face to face with her.

She hated to admit it, but it was a little awkward.

"Hi," he said after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Hi," she said back.

"How've you been -?"

"Is there something wrong, Troy?" she interrupted him.

"What do you mean?" He looked at her confusingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Why are you talking to me?" He frowned.

"You're my best friend, Gabi."

"Not as of late."

He frowned at that and looked down at his worn Vans. It took him a minute before he looked back up again.

"I miss you," he said. "I really miss talking to you everyday just to hear your voice."

She blushed at this, but did not say anything.

He sighed and looked anxious.

"Just spit it out Troy," she said getting a little impatient.

"I want you to come to the party afteran my game tonight," he said still looking anxious. "I want people to know about you. I want people to know about us. They should know that Gabriella Montez is Troy Bolton's best friend or BFF if that's what you want to call it."

The joke worked. All the tension was gone, and Gabriella laughed while he smiled cheekily. After the laughter died down, her eyes softened, but she was still cautious. She looked down at her worn flats, a habit she had picked up from him. Gabriella would've loved it if she could hang out with him without everyone judging them, but she wasn't so sure what would happen at first.

"Hey, look at me," he said bringing her chin up and smiling softly at her. "I'm going to be there to show them that you're the most awesome person I know!"

She started laughing and tried to shush him to get him to be quieter.

"Okay, just as long as you're there," she said nodding. He smiled and gave her hug.

"I love you, Gabs," he said sending tingles up her spine. "You're like a sister to me."

Her face was buried into his chest so that he wouldn't see her frown and tearing up. She supposed she would remain single and a virgin for the rest of her life.

Maybe she could get a cat or two.

*****

Troy did spectacularly well at the basketball game, and she why he had become basketball captain of the team. He had scored the winning basket and got the crowd going wild. They all crowded around him to congratulate him on getting the victory. Gabriella was proud of him.

She was still standing on the bleachers with her close friend, Sharpay, watching from a distance. Sharpay was a feisty outgoing girl who was extravagant in every way possible. She rolled her eyes at Gabriella and was saying something about how everyone looked like he just saved the world from certain doom. Gabriella turned her head to Sharpay. She knew her friend was just peeved because her boyfriend, Zeke, was on the team, and he wasn't getting any praises. Gabriella smiled and turned her head back to Troy. She feebly waved at him but put her hand back down. He was still busy talking to some of the cheerleaders.

"You want to out of here so we can get ready for the party?" she asked Sharpay. Sharpay nodded, and they climbed down the bleachers to head outside of the noisy gym.

*****

Gabriella Montez hated high-heeled shoes. She also despised the man, Louis Vuitton. Why, oh why, did he have to create a shoe that also doubled as a torture device? She had to admit, though.

They were very nice heels.

Sharpay had forced her against her will to wear the deathtraps and don a silver flowing mini dress. If something were to spill on it, the dress would certainly become see-through.

"You'll be fine," Sharpay comforted when Gabriella told her. "After tonight, you and Troy will be riding off into the sunset together for your happily ever after."

Gabriella just blushed and rolled her eyes.

They got to the party a half and hour late because Sharpay had to fix Gabriella's make-up as well. Troy's house was very large compared to many people in this town. His parents were a well-to-do doctor and interior designer. The party was being held in the ballroom where Gabriella could already hear the music pumping very loudly from the hallway. When they entered the ballroom, many people were dancing to the beat of the percussions or chatting near the walls and tables. Gabriella and Sharpay automatically went straight for the punch bowl table.

"I have to pee," Sharpay said. She hadn't gone to the bathroom since the beginning of the game, and she drank a very large soda since then.

"Okay, go ahead," Gabriella said nodding to the directions of the bathrooms. She had been to this house so often that she knew the place inside and out. Sharpay nodded but looked quickly at Gabriella.

"Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?" Gabriella nodded, and Sharpay made a beeline straight toward the bathrooms.

Gabriella felt very awkward just standing there. She pretended to get some punch so that she wouldn't look so stupid, although she knew better than to drink it.

A few of Troy's basketball friends had sidled over to the table to get some of the spiked punch when they noticed her. They haven't really seen her around these parties, and she didn't look like she went to their school. Gabriella wasn't wearing her usual black-framed glasses, although they still wouldn't recognize her. Instead, she was wearing her contacts.

"Hi," the large-muscled blonde slurred to her. "I'm Josh, and this here is my buddy, Logan." He pointed to the lanky jet-black haired boy. "What's you're name? I don't think I've seen you around before."

Gabriella internally rolled her eyes, but she didn't want to be rude.

"I'm Gabriella," she said using her formal name.

"Whoa," a high-pitched and loud feminine voice interrupted. "Do you mean Gabriella, the emo kid that always wears those hideous glasses?"

A tall curvy redhead had sidled up to their now growing group. She wore three inch red heels and a very low cut dress, if someone could call it a dress. Jodie was the head cheerleader of the varsity squad of the school. Although she was a very good cheerleader and gymnast, she certainly fit the stereotype genre of cheerleader's personality.

"Essentially yes, that's me," Gabriella rolled her eyes, nodding. The two boys who were talking to her saw this and backed away slightly. Jodie made a disgusted face at her.

"Who invited you?"

"Troy invited me," Bella said. "He's my friend."

Jodie gave her a weird look and turned as though looking for something. She saw who she was looking for and waved him over. Troy walked over looking confused.

"What's going on?" Troy asked. It was then that he noticed Gabriella. A look of panic crossed his features, and Gabriella didn't know what to make of it.

"This girl says that you invited her," Jodie drawled. "Is that true?" By this time, the music had stopped, and everyone was curious as to what was going on.

Troy took a second to look over at Gabriella. Then he dropped his eyes to his Vans.

Oh no, Gabriella panicked.

He picked up his head with a blank and cold expression on his face.

"No," he said coldly. "Does it look like I would be friends, or even know someone like her?"

Jodie stared triumphantly at Gabriella, while she just stared incredulously at Troy. How could he do this to her? She felt the sudden stinging in her eyes, and the urge to run and never look back. Gabriella backed shakily, but she tripped over her heels accidentally in the process. Everyone laughed when she was knocked into the punch bowl, and now everyone saw her underwear and bra. The tears were running freely now as she looked around helplessly for Sharpay.

Troy didn't even bother helping her up.

Sharpay had to push through the crowd to her looking concerned, angry, and upset all at once. She helped Gabriella up and put her pea coat over her to cover the ruined dress. They walked quickly out of the ballroom still hearing everyone's jeering and taunting. Gabriella looked back one last time and saw Troy looking blankly at her.

They had come to a silent agreement.

She would never be able to speak to Troy again.

Gabriella Montez hated high-heeled shoes.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Kind of a filler for you. Not very long so don't expect much. Just a little Troy-boy point of view for you. Enjoy.**

_**Chapter Three**_

Troy Bolton was a follower of some sorts. He is a leader in the way that everyone looks to him to shoot the winning goal or hook up with the hottest girl. Even with all of that, he still is a follower.

He hasn't made his own decision in a long time now. Troy felt like a puppet; he was being pulled this way and that.

Troy followed what the crowd wanted him to do.

He once had tried to show one of his poems to his basketball friends. Troy loved to write, and it would be nice for once if people could see that.

"You write?" his 'friend' asked rudely. Troy panicked. He did not want people thinking he was a freak.

"Nah," Troy said nonchalantly. "I got one of the braniacs to do it for me." After that, his friend grinned admiringly and bumped fists with him.

He was wearing a mask.

The only person he felt that he could take off the mask with was Gabriella.

Troy sighed sadly.

Poor Gabriella. She was always there for him when he had needed a hand, and he had abandoned her. Instead, he looked at her coldly and held his head high.

Troy was disgusted with himself.

He remembered just before she walked out, she looked at him. His hope turned to despair, as he knew what she was thinking right then and there.

She would never forgive him.

Troy looked out of the corner of his eye to look at her writing furiously on the quiz on A Tale of Two Cities that they were supposed to be taking. He looked down at his almost empty quiz and exhaled; he couldn't even concentrate. All he could see was Troy's upset eyes when she walked in the room, and some of the people in class had snickered. She looked tired and worn. He cringed because he knew he had caused that.

He had caused his best friend pain.

The bell rang, and he sighed frustrated. He definitely failed that quiz, and English was even his favorite subject! Troy got up and handed it to the teacher. Mrs. French looked down at his quiz and looked back up at him disappointedly. He looked down at his Vans. It was a habit of his of whenever a situation had gotten to where he had grown uncomfortable.

"And here I was thinking that you were one of the ones who actually liked the book," she said teasingly but it still held that tone of disappointment. His head snapped up at this statement.

"Of course I like the book," he said a little bit offended. Mrs. French still looked sadly at him.

"Is there something the matter, Troy?" she asked concerned.

"No," he said as his automatic response, robotic like. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just having an off day. I'll be fine." He tried his easy smile on her as if to prove his point, but he didn't think he was very convincing because Mrs. French was still looking at him concerned. She looked down at the stack of papers and sighed; she looked back up at him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked one last time.

He nodded, but he knew that she knew he was lying.

He probably would never be 'alright' ever again.

A/N: Sorry this was so short. Next chapter is double this so I guess it makes up for it.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

Over the next year and a half, Troy was always keeping an extra eye on Gabriella. He wanted to make sure that even though he was suffering that she was at least making it day by day.

She never spoke to him, though, and he was too cowardly to go up to her and apologize for that horrific night. His stomach still clenched whenever he saw her heartbroken face in his mind.

Although they never spoke to each other, their parents still did. Troy sighed. His parents were extremely upset with him.

On the night when everything changed, they had come home early from a party of their own to find their ballroom trashed by a bunch of teenager. Troy was drunk on a couch with a girl he couldn't remember the next day on his lap. He had drunk many a beer after Gabriella had gone. Not only that, but they had found out from Gabriella's parents what had happened to her.

Her parents had gone to the same party and were home at the same time to find their daughter drenched in spilled beer and punch. Sharpay had to explain what happened to keep Gabriella from getting into trouble. He was grateful for that because he already did enough to Gabriella.

In the morning, he had to help the maids clean up the mess in the ballroom. He remembered the door being opened and Gabriella as well as her parents coming in. She was cleaned up from all the beer and punch, and her head was down so that she wasn't looking at him.

His parents and the Montez family relocated to the living room so that his parents could apologize to Gabriella and her parents about what he did. He felt extremely guilty for this because he was the one who was supposed to be apologizing.

Over time, though, he watched as Gabriella grew from the shy girl he knew to a beautiful achieving woman. She was more open with her art, and she let people display them. Gabriella was rewarded with honors that most people in high school could never achieve.

During their last year in high school, he had found out from his parents that she had gotten a scholarship toward Oxford. He was saddened by this news. Oxford was in England. England was practically on the other side of the world. It was so far away.

Still, Troy couldn't be more proud of her.

He himself got a full-ride basketball scholarship to University of Albuquerque. He was suddenly regretting the fact that he didn't think to sign up for a school in England.

On the day of their high school graduation, he saw a shiny medal of a valedictorian around her neck. He was proud again.

The ceremony ended quickly, more quickly than he expected, and suddenly he was surrounded by a mob. Girls were crying and hugging him, and they were telling him to call and never forget them. He couldn't even remember most of their names. He felt bad for a moment but decidedly brushed the feeling away. He was never going to see any of those girls again. Might as well save them the heartbreak now. Many of his basketball friends bumped him in the shoulder and said that they would hang out sometime. He nodded absentmindedly while he went to go look for his family.

His parents and some other relatives were standing with the Montez family. Off to the side, he saw Gabriella crying with Sharpay. Her make up was starting to run, and her hair was slightly frizzy from the heat of the sun outside.

Troy thought she looked beautiful.

He somewhat knew what these feelings of deep longing were. Troy had developed more than feelings of friendship toward Gabriella in their years during high school, but he knew he could never act on it. She probably still hated him.

Suddenly, he realized that this was the last time he would probably see her. His own eyes began to water as he made a daring move toward her. Sharpay saw him, said something to Gabriella, and ran off to probably go find her family.

Gabriella turned around confusedly, and before she could run anywhere, he hugged her tightly. The tears were running freely, and he could feel her stiffen.

_Please don't let go_, he thought. _I'll probably never see you again._

She must've come to the same realization because he felt her tears on his neck and her arms go around his torso.

Troy hadn't realized this until now, but she fit him. She fit every crook and cranny in not only his body but in his personality as well. It was a strange feeling, and he hadn't known what to expect.

He expected to drown with the knowledge of that feeling, but instead, he was floating in it.

_I love you_, he thought feeling the euphoric smile grace his lips_. Please stay, with me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever hurt you. I love you._

He couldn't make himself say the words out loud.

"I…" he stuttered, but she beat him to it.

"Congratulations on the scholarship, Michael Jordan," she teased through her own tears. It was the longest sentence she had said to him in a while he noticed. He laughed through the tears and looked down to her face.

"Congratulations on Oxford, Einstein," he teased back.

They looked at each other, and she was waiting expectantly at him. She was waiting for his apology for that night three years ago. His tongue got tied, and his parents pulled him away for pictures. She looked sadly at him and shook her head.

He could practically hear the shattering of her heart once more.

They had dinner with the Montez family at a much-respected restaurant in town, and his chance of apologizing got stuck in his throat every time so he just made small talk.

Dinner was delicious, and everyone was talking happily. Troy and Gabriella kept staring at each other throughout the entire thing.

Once dinner was over, the tears returned, and his parents hugged Gabriella while her parents hugged him. They went outside to their cars, and Gabriella and Troy hung back while their parents talked. He was panicking by this point; he had to do something.

"I…" he tried once more.

"Troy…" she said interrupting him again. He couldn't help but be distracted by her angelic like voice. He turned to her and smiled sadly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

She didn't speak. Instead, she lightly touched his face, tracing his features. He automatically closed his eyes and leaned in to her touch. Troy felt the sparks and tingles as she caressed his face. He frowned and opened his eyes when she stopped. Why did she stop? It felt good when she did that. Troy looked at her questioningly. She looked determined.

Gabriella leaned up cautioning with her eyes. Her lips touched his, and his eyes couldn't seem to stay open. It was light and soft, but he felt shockwaves throughout his entire system. He had never experienced that with another girl before.

Too soon did she pull away, and he was in a daze. Their parents called them, and she ran over to hers while he stumbled over to his still shiny black Audi. He shook his head to clear it and looked over at her. Tears were running down her eyes, and she smiled at him.

"Goodbye, Troy Bolton," she called out to him and waved. He stared at their car as it moved away from him.

"Goodbye, Gabriella Montez," he whispered into the night long after they were gone. "I love you."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_**6 Years Later**_

It's been quiet in Albuquerque since the Class of 2009 had graduated. The year of 2015 had just arrived, and it was a biting winter day that held a blanket of snow as a gift. It was still winter break for all schools.

The town had barely changed in six years. New buildings were built in place of the old worn down ones, but that was it.

A slightly worn but still shiny black Audi was parked in front of a white house with a blanket of snow covering it. The owner of the car was inside the house changing the channels of the plasma screen in front of him.

Troy Bolton is a graduate of the University of Albuquerque with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. In the past six years, he has not only grown older, but he has matured in many ways.

The years did not dim his handsome face and body, but they only enhanced his features. His personality of following the orders of another person's whim has disappeared, and he is his own person now. Once Gabriella disappeared from his life because of his own stupidity, he promised himself he would never do that to anyone again. He still felt that awful guilt that accompanied that night. Someone as beautiful and precious as Gabriella did not have to go through something like what he did. He once promised himself and her that he would never hurt her, and he would always fight for her.

It was a promise easily broken by his pride.

Hoping to forget the aching pain in his chest Troy looked around the room to find a distraction, any distraction.

He spotted his favorite picture. The picture held a girl with black hair and glasses and a boy both looking about the ages of fifteen and sixteen. The pain he felt now was different, and some would say it was a pleasure made from pain. It was that familiar flutter of his chest and tightening stomach whenever he thought about her flawless face and rosy cheeks.

After all these years, he was still desperately in love with Gabriella Montez, a girl he hasn't seen in over six years.

He's tried to forget, but his heart just won't let go.

He's done everything from one-night stands to the yearlong relationships. It still doesn't fill the empty hole in his chest since that day she walked away.

She hasn't visited, not once, since she had left for college. Oh, sure, she would email or call her mother every now and then to tell her she's alive, but his heart was still aching at the distance.

He has heard from many different sources that she is now residing in New York City. It also seemed that she transferred schools to finish her years of pre-med in the United States instead of England. She lives in an apartment there with her boyfriend, apparently.

Troy tried to beat down the raging green fire when he was told this.

His years of college were extremely boring compared to the stories of constant travel that held Gabriella's. He did his homework. He went to class. He stayed up just like every other student in the library at four in the morning to get his papers done. He did just about everything a college kid could have looked forward to in college, yet he didn't find any joy in it. Only when he graduated did he feel great joy.

Troy stepped out of his own musings when he heard the front door open. His mother came in with grocery bags, and he rushed to help her with them.

"Oh thank you, honey," she grunted still lifting some heavy bags and her purse.

"No problem, mom," he grinned at her. He took more bags from her hands and brought the items to the kitchen. Looking inside the bags, he realized there was enough food to feed a small army. He may have realized he was over exaggerating, but still. There was a lot of food.

"Geez, mom," he said smiling. "I know I eat a lot, but even this may be a little too much for me."

She slapped him lightly on his forearm.

"This isn't for you, Troy," she said. "We're having a dinner party tomorrow."

He tapped his chin. "Oh no. You are not going to set me up with another girl again are you?"

"No. No. No. Jose and Maria Montez are coming over with a few of our other friends." She tapped her chin thoughtfully and looked at him.

"Although, if you wanted me to, there was this lovely young lady down at the grocery store-"

"Never mind. I'll be going now."

He kissed his mother on her cheek and rushed out of the kitchen before she could say anything else.

"Where are you going?" she yelled out from the kitchen.

"Going to Chad's," he yelled back.

Troy grabbed his heavy coat, gloves, snowshoes, and his keys, and he headed out into the snow.

Lucille Bolton was still in the kitchen unpacking the groceries when she remembered she forgot to tell her son something.

"I forgot to tell you. Gabriella is also coming tomorrow for the dinner with her parents."

Troy didn't hear her. He was already in his car driving to Chad's.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

An orange basketball made it straight into the hoop making a swishing sound for what seemed like the millionth time today.

"Alright…" Chad Danforth said. "So what's the score?"

"I lost count after twenty," Troy Bolton smirked.

"Geez, Troy, catch up."

"Oh… you meant your score…"

He put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure counting even that one basket where you purposely knocked me over… that would be five points for you."

He ducked as his best friend, Chad, attempted to hit him with the basketball on the head.

"I hate you," Chad whined childishly.

"I love you too, dude," Troy chuckled as he ruffled the Afro on Chad's head. Chad swatted the offending hand away.

A vibration was heard, and Troy took out his phone to find a text message from his mother.

"My mom just texted me. Do you want to go to my house for dinner?"

Chad nodded, and they walked to Troy's black Audi. When they arrived at the house, the savoring smell of pasta sauce filled their nostrils. Troy rubbed his hands together and went into the kitchen.

"Smells good, mom," he told her as he kissed her cheek.

"Oh thanks, sweetie," she said beaming at him as she stirred the sauce.

Troy looked around to the living room to find Chad on the couch with the television already on.

"Where's dad?" he asked his mother.

"He'll be in soon. He just went out to the hardware store to get a replacement light for that broken bulb on the Christmas tree."

Troy nodded and went back to the living room to join Chad. The front door opened, and in came Jack Bolton flustered from the cold outside.

"Hey, boys," he waved to the men on the couch.

"Hey, dad," Troy said.

"Hey, coach," Chad said grinning.

"Something smells good," Jack yelled to his wife, Lucille, as he hung his coat in the hallway closet.

"It's ready if you guys would set the table for me, please," she yelled out.

The men set the table as she set the food out. They said prayer, and then ate silently for a few moments.

"Troy," Lucille said. "I forgot to tell you something, but you were already out the door."

"Oh," he said. "What is it?"

"Remember when I told you that Jose and Maria are coming tomorrow?"

He nodded, but then became confused at her suddenly excited face.

"Guess who else is coming," she looked like she was practically buzzing with the news.

"Just tell me, mom," he said.

"Gabriella is coming home for Christmas!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Silence.

"What?" he finally choked out.

"Gabriella is coming home for Christmas," she said. "She's bringing home her new fiancé.

The joy he felt just moments ago vanished and was replaced by a slightly nauseous feeling. Fiancé?

Chad looked confusedly at Troy's paling face.

"Who is Gabriella?" Chad asked.

"Oh, she is my best friend's daughter who used to be a very good friend to Troy when they were young."

She got up quickly and came back a few minutes later with a very large photo album. Troy was still in shock until he saw the album. Any blood left in his face was now gone, and a panic started to rise in his chest. He quickly shot out of his seat so he did not have to endure the torture of wonderful but forgotten memories of his love.

"May I be excused?" he asked hurriedly.

His parents looked at him weirdly but nodded. He had already seen the pictures. Troy proceeded to sprint up the stairs to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He put his back against the door and slid till he was sitting on the floor.

Gabriella is coming home. And she's bringing her fiancé.

Fiancé.

She is going to get married.

He felt as if the world could have heard the rest of his heart breaking.

(||====:

Gabriella Montez really did not want to go home for the holidays.

She has been able to avoid going back to Albuquerque for six years by somehow convincing her parents to come up to New York. Each year she would somehow be able to convince them, but this year was different. Although her parents begged her that she should come down to New Mexico for Christmas instead, it surprisingly was not the only factor in her reasoning. She looked down to her left hand to find the shiny new addition that gave an added weight to her finger.

She was getting married.

Although both parents met Robert Allen, her new fiancé, on several occasions, she had yet to inform them of the fact that she had gotten engaged. In face, she hasn't told anyone about it yet. Well, maybe except her good friend, Taylor McKessie.

It was a very sweet proposal.

They were having their routine walk around Central Park, and it was a beautiful night. He started comparing her to the stars, and how they could never match her exquisite beauty. There was a strange look in his eye, and she wasn't prepared at all for when he kneeled down in front of her. He asked her then and there if she would marry him. She couldn't help but say yes to the man that saved her from darkened days.

Of course, this was months ago, and she has been stalling. Robert has been patient, but she can see the anxiousness in his eyes. He has already told his family and friends. It is only fair that she return the favor. She's made up many reasons so that she didn't have to go back, but she can no longer deny what is truth any longer. Troy Bolton was the reason she never went back.

A pain shot through her chest just thinking about it.

Now she knows she cannot avoid it anymore… she has to stop avoiding him.

She tells herself that she is going for closure, a goodbye. But she knows the real reason. She needs to see his face one more time before she binds herself to a man that does not have her whole heart.


End file.
